Rhythm Game

Our last game preview from PAX East 2017 is a rhythm platformer from developer Tinimations. Like the previous game that I previewed, Klang is a game that came out last year but was available on the show floor for us to try out. The game does some interesting things that I had not seen in a rhythm or platforming game before, so this game was an interesting discovery at the event. (more…)

Did you love Crypt of the Necrodancer’s fusion of gameplay and music but wish the action was real time? If that sounds like it would make for a daunting experience, you’re not wrong! Klang, from one-man studio Tinimations, is available now on Steam for $14.99.

As Tinimations Tom-Ivar Arntzen explains it, “what makes Klang different from other rhythm games makes it challenging. Klang blends the variety of tasks players perform in action games with the timing challenges in rhythm games. The result is an immersive experience where players must pay attention to what they’re doing and the music they’re doing it to.”

That music comes in the form of a 34-track score from game music remix veteran, bLiNd and is available to buy alongside the game for $7.99. There’s also a free 4-track sampler album on Bandcamp so you can get a taste of the larger soundtrack. While it probably makes for a harrowing experience in the game, all the music I’ve heard so far has been pleasantly danceable and not overwhelmingly hardcore as you might expect.

Take a listen to the free sampler album above and check out some gameplay footage inside. If Klang proves to be enticing you can grab the game and its soundtrack at a discount right now on Steam. Normally priced $14.99, Klang is 20% off through September 29th, as is the soundtrack.

Rhythm RPG, The Metronomicon has quite the news to celebrate today but if you — like me until 15 minutes ago — had never heard of it, here’s a quick primer. The Metronomicon combines rhythm games and RPGs in the same way Puzzle Quest infused Match 3 gameplay with combat and quests. Similar in style to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, you’re hitting colored notes as they fall down the screen. Instead of racking up points though, you’re building up abilities and buffs across 8 different characters to whittle away the Hit Points of fantastically nonsensical enemies. Winning battles and completing quests rewards you with gear and experience points to customize your team.

All of this is set to an expanding soundtrack of licensed songs from DJ Cutman, Perturbator, J-Punch, YACHT, Shiny Toy Guns and as of today, Mega Ran, whose track “Miss Communication” will be joining the setlist. Developer Puuba also announced today that your existing Rock Band and Guitar Hero guitars will be compatible with the game as well as custom-built dance pads coming from Precision Dance Pads.

Take a look at the latest devlog above to see the shiny new dance pads in action and hear Mega Ran vibin’ along to the game. The Metronomicon is launching later in 2016 with the help of Kasedo Games and will be making its next appearance at GamesCom in Germany next month. Expect an update with some more musical announcements around the show.

I am not a fan of the increasingly crowded “clicker” genre but I am a sucker for games that tweak your music collection into gameplay. Those are the genres that Animoca’s Groove Planet straddles which is out now on Android after a successful launch on iOS this past December. It’s also free so there’s not a whole lot to dissuade you if you’re on the fence about another Clicker game or another your-music-is-the-game game.

Groove Planet is pleasant enough to look at with stylish and vibrantly colored structures that you place on the surface of a giant vinyl record planet. After a very brief tutorial you’ll start adding and upgrading those buildings which rapidly increase the number of notes (read: money) that are constantly being generated. Challenges motivate you to make specific upgrades and watching an ad or two rewards you with temporary boosts to Note production. It’s all very typical Clicker stuff with exponentially expensive upgrades requiring more taps to refill your coffers.

This is where the music game aspect comes in. Like other Clickers you can tap the screen as wildly as you like and watch a few Notes add to your pocket or you can tap along to the beat of the song and start building up a combo. Naturally, the combo multiplies the amount of notes to wild degrees as long as you can keep it going. The beat matching seems a little off at times but there’s no penalty to missing other than starting your combo over again. It’s nice to purposefully go off the beat and tap along to a drum roll and not feel punished for a little freestyling. A couple other nice touches include the skyline that changes color based on the chord of the chosen song and the Key of the song appearing on your main base tower (if the game can figure it out). They even pop up little tips on the “mood” of different chords.

As a music player Groove Planet is a little lacking. You can only browse a big dumb list of all the music on your device and there’s no way to limit the search to artist, track or album. Artwork is also mostly broken for me but the songs do start playing right away. Whatever beat analysis that’s going on happens very quickly which is appreciated. You can also use it as a music visualizer if you’d like. After 20 seconds of inactivity the menus fade out and your planet begins to spin, subtly reacting to the music as buildings animate and characters scurry around.

If you’re the kind who loves watching profits skyrocket into the octillions or if you just like to tap along to your favorite songs Groove Planet is worth a shot. It’s made for a decent little mindless diversion while listening to music and it’s free afterall. Grab it for yourself on the Google Play Store or the iTunes Store.

It’s been a while since I first posted about Wailing Heights, a macabre musical adventure game from Outsider Games. Since their reveal announcement back in September the team has moved into the Top 30 on Steam Greenlight. To celebrate the game’s ongoing coverage and positive reaction they’ve released a new trailer featuring the 60’s stylings of The Deadbeats.

The Deadbeats are the world renowned band that Frances Finklestein to manage back when he had a body. In the land of Wailing Heights he finds himself doing the “body-hop” to jump from hipster vampire to Motown zombie, all in the search for a way to reunite with his body.

I don’t normally go for point and click adventure games but Wailing Heights is combining a lot of stuff I like. Graphic novel styled artwork, a monster village filled with vegan werewolves and hipster vampires, and the promise of a musical adventure in both gameplay and story.

You wake up in Wailing Heights’ prison as Frances Finklestein, former manager of the greatest 60’s rock band, and have to find a way to escape this purgatory. You’re quickly introduced to the “body-hop”, a musical mechanic that lets you jump between characters and escape your cell, but you still have to find a way to free your own body. Given that this is an adventure game it’s not going to be as easy as simply finding a key.

Exploring the Heights, interacting with characters and “borrowing” their unique abilities, you’ll explore a story created by Kevin Beimers (Hector: Badge of Carnage, Schrodinger’s Cat) realized through that gorgeous comic art style. But the music, critical as it is to the experience, is still a bit of a mystery. You can get an idea of the vibe they’re going for in the announcement trailer above but exactly how it all figures into the gameplay is still a secret. It sounds great, though, and very much a unique soundtrack for an adventure game if it holds to this style.

Hopefully much more will be seen (and heard) from Wailing Heights at the upcoming EGX show in the UK where Outsider Games will be showing it off for the first time.

If you’re on the go a lot and are one of those filthy casuals who are into mobile games (kidding, mostly), then you might be interested in the upcoming rhythm-action game being released by Headup Games titled Dub Dash.

Dub Dash is a fast-paced action game based on great music. The tracks are decomposed into diverging game mode segments. The gameplay of each segment is simple, yet challenging, and is always in sync with the underlying beats. Spin your crazy wheel in harmony with the song and keep dodging left and right to avoid obstacles on an otherwise straight path. Fly like a bird, but don’t lose track of the right way. Make hard 90° turns and feel the rhythm of the zig-zag trajectory. The objective for each track is clear: Rock the funky road of Dub Dash!

Developed by Incodra, the iOS version of the Dub Dash releases on October 8th, with an Android version to be released a bit later in the year. It’s visually a very colorful and interesting-looking game based on the trailer, and it’s rhythm-based action reminds me a bit of the mechanics of Crypt of the Necrodancer. Those who are fans of the style and the convenience of portability should keep their eyes out for this release.

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